SGA Security To Recycle Guards’ Uniforms Into School Bags For Poor Pupils.
SGA Security’s old guard uniforms will now be recycled to make school bags in an effort to promote a clean environment in the country.
This comes after SGA Security, a leading private security firm in East Africa, announced on Thursday a collaboration with Africa Collect Textiles (ACT) in a drive to repurpose old guards’ uniforms into school bags.
Under the new agreement, ACT will collect used uniforms from security guards and recycle them to produce, among other things, school bags.
The bags will be given to school-age children from low-income families.
SGA Security employs over 19,000 people across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
According to SGA Kenya country manager Lucas Ndolo, the recycling initiative aims to reduce the backlog of post-consumer textile waste that typically ends up in landfills, causing harmful environmental effects.
“The average usage of a garment is three years before disposal which leads to the generation of a huge amount of waste. At SGA Security, we endeavor to contribute to environmental protection through this initiative,” Ndolo said
Julius Delahaije, Chief Executive and Chairman of SGA Security, stated that incorporating circularity in key sectors of the economy will result in the development of new businesses in redesigning, recycling, and waste management, which will increase sustainable economic development and resilience.
Delahaije called for multi-sectoral collaboration with the government, private sector, and non-profit organizations to contribute to the circular economy through textile collection for action and uptake.
Alex Musembi, Founder and General Manager of Africa Collect Textile (ACT) Kenya, stated that ACT’s business model is to collect and redistribute used clothing to provide underprivileged communities with decent clothing as well as to create sorted textile waste streams that are suitable for recycling.
ACT is a social enterprise that collects used textiles and footwear in Africa for reuse and recycling.
ACT diverts thousands of kilos of textile waste from landfills by installing convenient drop-off points at shopping centers, universities, schools, and religious institutions, as well as by offering a pick-up service for bulky items and corporate wear.
Each item is thoroughly inspected, sorted, and prepared for re-wear or recycling. ACT created carpets, backpacks, pillows, toys, and sandals from the materials collected.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the textile industry is the second most polluting industry, accounting for 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions each year (IPCC).
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“The current amount of textiles discarded by the public in Kenyan urban areas is estimated at 35 million kilograms yearly, of which 20 million kilograms is in Nairobi,” Musembi said.
ACT aims to collect and recycle more than half of Kenya’s used textiles over the next ten years in order to reduce landfill disposal and gradually develop our recycling capabilities so that we can recycle more and more materials.
SGA Security To Recycle Guards’ Uniforms Into School Bags For Poor Pupils
